By HE Francesco Azzarello, Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
“Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life”
Since its opening the 1st of May, EXPO 2015 has been the showroom of efficient and sustainable food management, as well as a unique platform for economic opportunities and political discussions. Leaders, businessmen, visitors from all over the world have gathered in Milan in order to visit the premises of the Exposition and raise awareness on the issue of food production. The message carried through the slogan “Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life” could not have been more timely and effective.EXPO 2015 has 145 participating countries, among which 54 built up their pavilions and the remaining joined in nine clusters organized around a specific theme: bio-Mediterranean (10), rice (5), cacao and chocolate (6), coffee (10), cereals (7), fruits and legumes (9), islands and sea (14), desert (8), spices (4). Through the clusters, EXPO 2015 has ensured the highest level of representation of African countries ever attained by a Universal Exposition. Among the International Organisations, the United Nations and the European Union set up their own pavilions, with the UN prestigiously established at the Pavilion Zero at the main entrance of EXPO and the UE in front of the Tree of Life. A large number of private companies have also taken an active role, such as Alitalia, Case New Holland, Coca Cola, ENEL, Ferrero, Intesa Sanpaolo, Perugina.So far EXPO 2015 has attained an impressive record of 11,5 million visitors, with an increasing rate of 120.000-150.000 visitors per day. A larger amount of visitors is expected for the final months of September and October. This remarkable achievements point out that EXPO 2015 has been delivering one of the best performances ever in the history of Universal Expositions.World leaders have gathered in Milan to visit EXPO 2015, mainly during the national days of their countries: the most intense months have been June and July, and more national days are scheduled for September and October. In the first weeks, EXPO 2015 was visited, among others, by the European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, Egyptian Minister for Foreign Trade Mounir Abel Nour, Ethiopian Minister of Industry Mebrathu Meles, Indonesian Minister of Trade Rachmat Gobel, Qatari Minister of Economy Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jassim Al-Thani, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.To recall some of the visits in June, the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Wang Yang on 8 June, Argentinian President Christina de Kirchner on 9, the Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on 10. And the British Prime Minister David Cameron on 17, US First Lady Michelle Obama on 18, French President François Hollande on 21, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev on 27. The Japanese Minister of agriculture Yoshimasa Hayashi and the Minister of Economy Daishiro Yamagiwa visited on 11 of July and Queen Letizia of Spain on the 23. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the 18 of August, the Iranian Minister for Industry Mohammen Reza Menatzadeh and Minister of Culture Ali Jannati on the 23, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 27.EXPO is a unique opportunity for business. More than 1.750 private companies from 72 countries have registered in the platform EXPO Business Matching, which has been organized in order to facilitate B2B meetings. 350 of them took place in May and June. 400 more delegations of private companies are expected to visit during the months ahead. Also civil society has been actively involved with a dedicated pavilion at Cascina Triulza.A particular mention should be addressed to the “Women’s week” which took place from 29 June to 10 July, with the participation of the Italian former Foreign Minister Emma Bonino and former Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Dassu’, and the President of EXPO Diana Bracco.For these many reasons, I warmly invite all of you to visit EXPO Milano 2015 before its ending on 31 October!
UNESCO-IHE Fellowships available for SIDS’ Water ProfessionalsThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has awarded a range of Fellowships for water professionals from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to pursue relevant water related MSc programmes at UNESCO-IHE in Delft, the Netherlands.UNESCO-IHE will provide at least 20 key water professionals, in two batches starting in 2015 and 2016, with MSc level education on relevant topics for the SIDS. The 18 month MSc programmes includes 6 months’ field based research to be conducted on specific, problems in the home country of the participant. Furthermore, UNESCO-IHE will provide at least 50 water professionals and decision makers with specific expertise on key topics, by enabling them to enrol in UNESCO-IHE Short Courses that start in 2016 and 2017.FijiIn August 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education jointly launched the project “Strengthening Small Island Developing States’ capacity in the water sector to cope with the effects of climate change”. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of professionals and decision makers, in order to improve water management in SIDS, to better address future challenges, such as coping with the effects of climate change.The beneficiaries of the project are professionals who are responsible for key decision making processes in the governments of SIDS.For information about application procedure visit http://bit.ly/1VcDiQR
Why the Dutch are different; into the hidden heart of the Netherlands.Author Ben Coates. Publication date: 24 September 2015.
The first book to present a modern look at the Netherlands, Why the Dutch are Different is a portrait of a tiny country that punches above its weight on the world stage and is home to some of the world’s most successful companies including Shell and Unilever.
To many it has a reputation as a beacon of liberalism, tolerance and prosperity and should be used as a template for the UK. But is its reputation still justified? Recent concerns around climate change, immigration, economic crisis and crime have called into question the country’s long tradition of tolerance. Some of its most famous liberal policies, such as legal drug use, have been tightened up. Is this a story of ‘innocence lost’? A no-longer perfect society? How different are the Dutch, now?
Ben Coates moved to the Netherlands following a chance encounter with a Dutch girl that led to a long-term relationship and a new adopted home. In Why the Dutch are Different he moves beyond the clichés of clogs, bicycles and the red light district to understand what really lies at the heart of the country. He finds a good deal to admire about his adopted home. Not only do the Dutch earn more money for working less hours, the Netherlands is ‘happier than Britain, more efficient than France, more tolerant than America, more worldly than Norway, more modern than Belgium and more fun than Germany.’ ‘We Brits might think we know all about our near-neighbour’, Coates says, ‘but we’d be wrong’.
The Netherlands is literally a self-made country; decades of struggle and ingenuity wrested the land from the water using windmills, dykes and canals, and made it safe to live on. This has shaped the people’s attitude towards the environment. Constant danger of flooding and a terrible disaster in 1953 means that to the Dutch, nature is an disruptive force to be conquered and contained. Which leads us to another surprise: as Coates shows, the Dutch are surprisingly fond of rules.
Dutch history sheds light on the issues facing the country today. Bloody religious wars over centuries led to a novel way of dealing with the country’s religious divide. Catholics and Protestants would attend different schools, work in different companies, and even had separate football leagues. Recently the Dutch, with one of the largest immigrant populations in Europe, applied a similar policy to its growing Muslim population – funding separate Islamic schools and providing government subsidies to mosques.
Many now feel that approach has backfired, exacerbating economic and cultural tensions. Activists such as Pim Fortuyn, who described Islam as ‘achterlijk; (backward) and won 35% of the vote in 2002; and Theo Van Gogh, (murdered by a fundamentalist Muslim in 2004) Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Geer Wilders all questioned whether Muslim principles were at odds with Dutch values, especially, and ironically, Dutch tolerance. Yet despite the rise of the far right Rotterdam elected its first Muslim Mayor in 2009, the anti-extremist Ahmed Aboutaleb. There is also the ongoing controversy over Zwarte Piet, or “Black Peter” – a character the Dutch dress as by wearing blackface makeup. A racist tradition? Or simply a Dutch tradition?
What does this mean for the UK?
What of those other liberal policies that we see as particularly Dutch – drug use and prostitution? Coates shows how Amsterdam’s drug-vending coffee shops meant that harder drugs became easier to find; fierce competition meant that profit margins on cannabis were squeezed; hard drugs were more profitable and criminal gangs began to assume control of the trade.
But the government’s response of tightening the rules continues to be controversial. Even legalized prostitution, with employment rights and health checks for sex workers, admired by many as a pragmatic approach to the oldest profession, came under scrutiny when it became clear that many sex workers had been brought from abroad, against their will, by people traffickers. Finally, the policy of assisted suicide, adopted in 2001 as a legal means by which doctors could act to end ‘unbearable suffering’ for patients who could be offered ‘no other reasonable solution’, has recently been called into question as perhaps too easy to implement. Many who fought for it at the outset are now trying to curb it.
So with the Dutch abandoning many of the policies that made their country famous, it is yet to be seen what will happen to the famous tolerance of the Netherlands and whether it is a society the UK should hope to emulate. Ben Coates senses that in some respects the unforeseen consequences of liberalism have been greater than anticipated and the tensions that have arisen from this mean the struggle for the heart of the country continues.
Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, and during his career has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He now lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife and works for an international charity. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian, Financial Times, and Huffington Post.
Information on: BEN-COATES.COM
By H. E. Joseph Cole, Ambassador of the Republic of Malta to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Strategically located at the centre of the Mediterranean, the Maltese Islands have been traditionally known for their booming tourism industry. However, their important location, the clear political commitment to ensure sustainable economic activity and the islands’ highly qualified workforce, has ensured that Malta has become increasingly respected in the areas of trade and investment. In recent years, Malta has demonstrated both economic resilience as well as an ability to thrive.
This year Malta has the special privilege to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malta and the Kingdom of The Netherlands. Diplomatic relations were established in 1965. Throughout the annals of our diplomatic history, the relationship between both countries has been guided by trust, goodwill and respect for each other.
The bilateral relations between Malta and The Netherlands will be further strengthened in the coming months when Malta and The Netherlands together with Slovakia form the EU Presidency Trio for the period January 2016 to June 2017. In 2018 Malta’s capital city Valletta and the Dutch city Leeuwarden will have the honour of holding the title of European Capital of Culture.
It goes without saying that the Mediterranean features as a central pillar of Malta’s foreign policy. Malta is not only an EU Member State, but a Mediterranean EU Member State. In view of its geopolitical location, Malta’s cultural, trade, economic and political contacts with the Arab world go back decades, and in some cases centuries and it is therefore only natural for Malta to undertake its role as the natural contact point between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
Malta was also the prime advocate on the need to strengthen peace and security in the Mediterranean which is directly linked to peace and security in Europe. In this regard, Malta’s actively participates in all international and regional fora aimed at transforming the Mediterranean into an area of dialogue, peace, cooperation and prosperity. The current challenges being faced in the Mediterranean make Malta’s role ever more important and relevant to ensure stability in the region.
Malta is pleased to host the European Commission-League of Arab States Liaison Office (ECLASLO) as a unique structure between the two regional organizations. The Office was set up following the first meeting between the European Union Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the League of Arab States Foreign Ministers in Malta upon an initiative undertaken by Malta in February 2008. The aim of this Office is to generate mutual contact between the European Union’s institutions and those of the Arab League.
The coming months will be very challenging for Malta as it hosts the EU/Africa Summit in November bringing together EU and African leaders to discuss how Europe and Africa can cooperate together to face current challenges and seek further opportunities how to consolidate the relationship between both continents.
For the second time since 2005, Malta will also be hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent countries almost all of which were formerly under British rule. 53 Head of States together with their foreign ministers will be going to Malta to discuss the future of the Commonwealth.
This year also marks the 450th anniversary of the Great Siege of Malta. This historic event marked the Maltese islands and significantly shaped Malta’s and European history.
Fifty-one years ago Malta joined the United Nations. That’s the year when Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa and the year when Martin Luther King received his Nobel Peace Prize. For a small, nascent state such as Malta, it was a year of promise and new beginnings as it took its place among the august members of the United Nations. The United Nations found a trusted and reliable partner in Malta, willing to contribute, in ways large and small, to the causes of international peace and security.
I will cite just two examples:
The first is Malta’s association with the Law of the Sea; a widely acknowledged role since Malta was instrumental in the launching of the international process that would eventually lead to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The second example comes shortly after, in 1988, when we were one of the first Member States to highlight the risks of climate change to the global community within the UN fora.
In 2014, Malta together with Algeria, France, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States, launched an International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law. This Institute, hosted in Malta, provides training for the police, educators, religious and community leaders, and policy makers. It brings together communication experts and law and enforcement agents who can help governments and communities learn to protect themselves from challenges like terrorism. It will also work with educators to give teachers the tools to protect at-risk children from recruitment from extremists.
Culture is one of the vehicles through which Malta and Gozo can interact with other communities, societies and countries. The role of the Cultural Diplomacy Unit within the MFA is to engage local and foreign cultural agencies to avail their intellectual and material resources to the coaching of a proper programme of events in the context of a particular occasion together with the Missions overseas.
All this revolves on the issue of a good management strategy which could either fine-tune the method of collaboration or if necessary take direct measures to see to it that an umbrella entity is identified and assigned with the responsibility to coordinate the required assistance to a particular event.
The Cultural Diplomacy fund which is managed through the unit gives incentive and initiative to the Missions overseas to organize and participate in cultural events that reflect both the local Maltese character as well as the intercultural dimension.
It is simply amazing what a small country like Malta with a population of less than half a million can do.
On the picture Ms. Neelie Kros, International Circle of Influencers.
ByDuke Michael of Mecklenburg & Baron Henri Estramant
Former European Commissioner and Dutch politician Neelie Kroes began at the beginning of 2015 the “International Circle of Influencers” in conjunction withHRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands and others.The latter association encompasses investors, top business people, engineers and government officials from the USA, Europe and Asia.
Together they strive at buttressing up the Dutch startup ecosystem to make it one of the most dynamics, accessible and innovative. The circle was already welcomed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on 8 June 2015 at the Catshuis in The Hague, to draw up the methods for a detailed study on how exactly best to achieve their goals.
Neelie Kroes acts in the capacity of “Special Envoy” from the Prime Minister, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp, and the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan.
The “International Circle of Influencers” is but an arm of the larger project, StartupDelta, which profiles itself as “One single hub for startups”. Amsterdam, the kingdom’s capital, plays a pivotal role for the public-private partnership for the city already plays a conspicuous role as a rather positive and attractive face for the entire Netherlands in order to entice talent to the country. In terms of startup innovation, the canals city ranks high, ranking no. 4 within the EU, and 19 globally. Moreover StartupDelta is Europe’s 3rd fastest growing startup ecosystem, just behind Berlin and London and ranks the 5th highest Growth Index of the global top 20.
HRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands – Picture by Dutch Royal House,
In spite of the country’s small size, Dutch startups as for instance Booking.com, Adyen and Shapeways are changing the way people worldwide travel, pay and build their homes. One should also not forget that Wi-Fi, CD, Bluetooth and the DVD were all invented in the Low Countries.
Multinationals, banks, think tanks and institutions such as Royal Philips, TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), ING or ASML are already part of the prestigious network of StartupDelta. Amongst the influential business people StartupDelta counts Ron Mobed (Elsevier), Feike Sijbesma (DSM), Peter Wennink (ASML), Pieter van der Does (Ayden), Werner Vogels (Amazon), Robert Verwaayen (RoBen) or Paddy Cosgrave (Web Summits).The Dutch presidency of the European Council in the first semester of 2016 is envisaged to provide a forum for StartupDelta to become very active in the European scene, and further promote The Netherlands as a top destination for businesses and above all startups and innovations. In fact, the organisation already works very closely with the permanent representation in Brussels led by HE Ambassador Pieter de Gooijer.
With societies recognizing the potential contributions of business in addressing various social and environmental challenges, such responsibilities are beginning to shift towards the private sector. Subsequently, the concept of CSR is increasingly featuring on the agenda of corporations worldwide.
Launched earlier this year, the Islamic Reporting Initiative (IRI), a not-for-profit organization headquartered in the UAE, is aiming to create an integrated reporting standard for CSR based on Islamic business principles. It will enable companies across sectors to inclusively assess and report on their CSR programs, facilitating progression towards responsible practice.
The IRI, in its aim of supporting organizations in realizing their CSR ambitions, is unique in its approach; the IRI seeks to tap into the expertise of those with an understanding of local organizational culture as a means of making CSR reporting as relevant and meaningful as possible.
Speaking with Drs Daan Elffers, founder of the IRI, the rationale behind this approach is clear; “we have developed the IRI in response to much research confirming that companies are finding the current, broad tools for CSR application to not always be as relevant or practical in a local context. We believe that a solution can be found in a reporting framework that engages with the nuances of the local culture, while working towards international standards of responsible practice”.Dr Sied Sadek, Managing Director of DQS CFS and DQS Middle East, international sustainability auditors and corporate partner of the IRI, on the need for a culturally-relevant reporting framework, says; “International standards are sometimes thought to be universal but they seldom are. While important, they are based upon international experience but that does not mean they can completely replace local values. I think that many companies in Islamic countries are caught between international standards and expectations on the one hand, and Islamic business principles and culture on the other hand. In this sense, the IRI can be a much needed initiative to enhance communication between cultures [and] contribute to an appreciation for diversity [of culture].”
Islamic principles serve to imbue individuals and organizations with a responsibility to care for society, and such principles infiltrate society through various practices and perspectives. CSR reports are created to enable CSR program development and to open dialogue with stakeholders, which may include consumers and employees, the government and the general public. As such, it is imperative that the motivations for CSR are framed within the local context, and that the language used is familiar, meaningful and therefore relatable.
The IRI has recently surpassed the milestone of gaining strategic partners from over 20 countries across the MENA region, Asia and Europe, with members representing governmental, corporate and non-profit organizations across sectors including health, finance and environment.
The IRI was founded as a CSR initiative of Drs Daan Elffers, CEO of EMG Group, a CSR Consultancy, where HH Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau is Chairman of the Advisory Board.
For more information on the IRI, please visit www.islamicreporting.org
ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi participating in the 10th Bled Strategic Forum on Tuesday, 1 September 2015.
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, participated on Tuesday, 1 September 2015, in the 10th Bled Strategic Forum, an annual high-level platform for dialogue among leaders from public and private sectors, organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective.
Speaking in a panel on the strengthening of the fight against impunity through partnerships, the ICC President stated that the strength of the ICC lies in its unique mandate which gives it the power to investigate and prosecute the most serious international crimes in situations when justice is otherwise impossible to achieve.
For the Court to be able to deliver effectively on this mandate, full cooperation and consistent political support of States is needed, as well as improvements to the Court’s efficiency, which is a top priority for her term as President, Judge Fernández said. She also underlined the importance of the participation and reparation of victims as well as communication with affected communities.
In the margins of the Forum, President Fernández held several bilateral meetings, including with senior government officials of Slovenia. In her discussions with Prime Minister Miro Cerar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karl Erjavec and Minister of Justice Goran Klemencic, the ICC President expressed the Court’s gratitude for Slovenia’s strong and long-standing support. She briefed the ministers on reforms underway at the Court, including efforts to improve the efficiency of judicial proceedings through the harmonisation of working methods and implementation of best practices.
History repeats itself at Noordeinde, The Hague. Grand Opening Clockmakers Shop The Course of Time
On Saturday 19th September 2015 at 14.00 hours the clockmakers shop The Course of Time will open its doors on 157A Noordeinde in The Hague. On the site where once a very renowned clockmaker was located, independent clockmaker Mr. Jitsko Vrieze opens again a clockmakers shop continuing the tradition of clock repair at Noordeinde street. The Course of Time specializes in sales, repair and restoration of antique clocks.
Jitsko Vrieze, the owner of The Course of Time, has turned his passion into his profession. Originating from the flower trade and –exports he decided a few years ago to devote his career to professional clock making. He was trained at, amongst others, A. Gaemers Chronometrie, a leading specialist in exclusive clocks. Vrieze’s newly opened shop The Course of Time, specializes in sale and repair of antique clocks, mainly from the 18th and 19th century. Mr A. Gaemers will officially open The Course of Time on 19 September.
Jitsko Vrieze: ‘The Course of Time is a new reliable address for professional clock making in the greater ‘The Hague’ area. Whether it concerns the repair of a precious heirloom, or a clock purchased on an auction or an antiques market.
We can also advise you on acquiring an antique clock fitting your, for example, modern interior. You can contact us for an appointment, but do feel free to drop in at any time to have a look.
The Course of Time is located at Noordeinde 157A in The Hague Opening times: Wednesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.thecourseoftime.nl Telephone: + 31 (0) 70 744 68 75
On the Picture HE Ambassador Moazzam Khan.By Nicole Pierre.It was a wonderful gathering in The Hague and my favorite expression of the evening was undoubtedly “Food Diplomacy”.
For a photo-album on Pakistan Diplomats Meet & Greet, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157657718041960
On Tuesday September 1st, 2015, H. E. Moazzam Khan Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Netherlands welcomed invited guests and members of the diplomatic corps to the Carlton Ambassador for the monthly Meet and Greet gathering.
This event was held in collaboration with the Carlton Ambassador Hotel, Jaguar, Diplomatic Card, Vimpelcom and Diplomat Magazine. The reception room at the Carlton was warmly decorated with Pakistani products and, upon entering the guests immediately knew that they were in for a unique experience.
Mr. Zahid Abbasi, Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of Pakistan.
The Netherlands and Pakistan share a very special bond as trading partners, with the Dutch being the 5th most important importer of Pakistani products in European Union and the 10th largest overall importer for Pakistan.
The Netherlands is also a top investor in Pakistan where many multinational companies such as Shell, Unilever and Phillips are housed. In fact, we were told that the two countries have a bilateral trade between them of approximately 1 billion dollars. Mr. Zahid Abbasi, in his capacity as Commercial Attaché in the Trade Wing of the Embassy has, along with HE Khan, conducted many trade promotional events.
Representatives from the business sector together with Mr. Abbasi.
Some of these events included the Mango exhibition, fashion week in Amsterdam, sport goods exhibition during the Hockey World Cup, participation at the Embassy Festival, and conducting Seminars on the textile sector and investment opportunities in Pakistan.
HE Moazzam Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan, HE Khalid Al Khater, Ambassador of Qatar and HE Sadik Arslan, Ambassador of Turkey.
But what constitutes this great trade relationship between the two countries? Machinery, electrical equipment, and pharmaceutical products are among some of the products that Pakistan imports from The Netherlands, while their main export includes: textile, garments, leather and sport goods, footwear, mango and, very importantly, rice. Ambassadors who attended the successful event included HE Khalid Al Khater, Ambassador of Qatar, HE José de Bouza Serrano, Ambassador of Portugal, HE Sadik Arslan, Ambassador of Turkey, HE Maria Teresa Infante Caffi, Ambassador of Chile, HE Gabriel Aguilera Peralta Ambassador of Guatemala and HE J. L. Mukul recently acredited Ambassador of India.
Thus, it only seems fitting that, for such an occasion as the Diplomat’s Meet and Greet, the embassy decided to host a rice dinner, serving 5 different assortments of this main export crop. The convivial atmosphere created through the sharing of a meal appeared to be a symbolic representation of the trade partnership which exists between Pakistan and The Netherlands. Marine Babayan, Vimpelcom, Ellen Heijligers Diplomatic Card, HE Moazzam Khan, Reli Felix and Richard SLootweg, Jaguar.
In the Ambassador’s speech he said that he wanted to do something different and thought about promoting his country through “Food Diplomacy”. I believe that we were all able to appreciate the meal and to savor the flavor of the rice after His Excellency’s thorough explanation of the importance of the profounder of the clay for the taste and texture of the rice.
To paraphrase Mr Ambassador himself, “The proof of the pudding – or the rice as it may be – was definitely in the eating”. We applaud the Embassy of Pakistan for this initiative and we certainly enjoyed dinner!
Representative group from the Pakistani business community.
India and Pakistan celebrated their 69th Independence Day on 15 August 2015.The end of the British colonial rule in 1947 marked the creation of two independent states, namely Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. “Independence Day” is celebrated widely in both the countries, with flags from the respective countries hoisted in schools and colleges, and at government buildings and major landmarks.Almost right after the celebrations in India, Mr. Narendra Modi the country’s Prime Minister headed to the UAE for an official visit on 16 August, a first by an Indian head of government in 30 years. The visit was quintessentially deemed as “Modi-like”, that is, a warm embrace for Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a pitch for trade and investment and an allocution in the midst of Dubai’s large and vibrant Indian community that bore resemblance to his address at Madison Square Garden in New York last year.
What does this mean for the UK?
What of those other liberal policies that we see as particularly Dutch – drug use and prostitution? Coates shows how Amsterdam’s drug-vending coffee shops meant that harder drugs became easier to find; fierce competition meant that profit margins on cannabis were squeezed; hard drugs were more profitable and criminal gangs began to assume control of the trade.
But the government’s response of tightening the rules continues to be controversial. Even legalized prostitution, with employment rights and health checks for sex workers, admired by many as a pragmatic approach to the oldest profession, came under scrutiny when it became clear that many sex workers had been brought from abroad, against their will, by people traffickers. Finally, the policy of assisted suicide, adopted in 2001 as a legal means by which doctors could act to end ‘unbearable suffering’ for patients who could be offered ‘no other reasonable solution’, has recently been called into question as perhaps too easy to implement. Many who fought for it at the outset are now trying to curb it.
So with the Dutch abandoning many of the policies that made their country famous, it is yet to be seen what will happen to the famous tolerance of the Netherlands and whether it is a society the UK should hope to emulate. Ben Coates senses that in some respects the unforeseen consequences of liberalism have been greater than anticipated and the tensions that have arisen from this mean the struggle for the heart of the country continues.
Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, and during his career has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He now lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife and works for an international charity. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian, Financial Times, and Huffington Post.
Information on: BEN-COATES.COM 
What does this mean for the UK?
What of those other liberal policies that we see as particularly Dutch – drug use and prostitution? Coates shows how Amsterdam’s drug-vending coffee shops meant that harder drugs became easier to find; fierce competition meant that profit margins on cannabis were squeezed; hard drugs were more profitable and criminal gangs began to assume control of the trade.
But the government’s response of tightening the rules continues to be controversial. Even legalized prostitution, with employment rights and health checks for sex workers, admired by many as a pragmatic approach to the oldest profession, came under scrutiny when it became clear that many sex workers had been brought from abroad, against their will, by people traffickers. Finally, the policy of assisted suicide, adopted in 2001 as a legal means by which doctors could act to end ‘unbearable suffering’ for patients who could be offered ‘no other reasonable solution’, has recently been called into question as perhaps too easy to implement. Many who fought for it at the outset are now trying to curb it.
So with the Dutch abandoning many of the policies that made their country famous, it is yet to be seen what will happen to the famous tolerance of the Netherlands and whether it is a society the UK should hope to emulate. Ben Coates senses that in some respects the unforeseen consequences of liberalism have been greater than anticipated and the tensions that have arisen from this mean the struggle for the heart of the country continues.
Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, and during his career has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He now lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife and works for an international charity. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian, Financial Times, and Huffington Post.
Information on: BEN-COATES.COM 
Jitsko Vrieze: ‘The Course of Time is a new reliable address for professional clock making in the greater ‘The Hague’ area. Whether it concerns the repair of a precious heirloom, or a clock purchased on an auction or an antiques market.
We can also advise you on acquiring an antique clock fitting your, for example, modern interior. You can contact us for an appointment, but do feel free to drop in at any time to have a look.
The Course of Time is located at Noordeinde 157A in The Hague Opening times: Wednesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.thecourseoftime.nl Telephone: + 31 (0) 70 744 68 75 
Jitsko Vrieze: ‘The Course of Time is a new reliable address for professional clock making in the greater ‘The Hague’ area. Whether it concerns the repair of a precious heirloom, or a clock purchased on an auction or an antiques market.
We can also advise you on acquiring an antique clock fitting your, for example, modern interior. You can contact us for an appointment, but do feel free to drop in at any time to have a look.
The Course of Time is located at Noordeinde 157A in The Hague Opening times: Wednesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.thecourseoftime.nl Telephone: + 31 (0) 70 744 68 75 
Almost right after the celebrations in India, Mr. Narendra Modi the country’s Prime Minister headed to the UAE for an official visit on 16 August, a first by an Indian head of government in 30 years. The visit was quintessentially deemed as “Modi-like”, that is, a warm embrace for Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a pitch for trade and investment and an allocution in the midst of Dubai’s large and vibrant Indian community that bore resemblance to his address at Madison Square Garden in New York last year.
Almost right after the celebrations in India, Mr. Narendra Modi the country’s Prime Minister headed to the UAE for an official visit on 16 August, a first by an Indian head of government in 30 years. The visit was quintessentially deemed as “Modi-like”, that is, a warm embrace for Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a pitch for trade and investment and an allocution in the midst of Dubai’s large and vibrant Indian community that bore resemblance to his address at Madison Square Garden in New York last year.